Norway’s Polar Park allows guests to camp among wolves and spend the night howling at the moon

Norway’s Polar Park is no ordinary animal park. Located in the Troms county, in the northern part of the Scandinavian country, it is home to three different wolf packs: the “Wild Pack”, the Salangsflokken and the “2010 pack”. What makes the park all the more unique is its incredible Howl Night program that allows visitors to spend the night howling with the wolves, underneath the breathtaking Northern Lights.

As the world’s northernmost wildlife sanctuary, the Polar Park provides shelter to a wide variety of animals, including wolves, bears, wolverines, foxes, reindeer, lynx and so on. Encompassing an area of 1,100,000-sq-m, it has a thriving wolf population, spread over three separate enclosures. Unlike other animal parks, however, it allows guests to enjoy the company of these majestic creatures at close proximity, rather than from behind a fence.

In nature, wolves are usually afraid of humans. This inherent suspicion often causes them to lash out, when faced with a tricky situation. The wolves at Polar Park, especially the ones belonging to the Salangsflokken pack, are more sociable, having been brought up to enjoy the company of human beings. For the so-called Howl Nights, visitors are allowed inside the wolves’ enclosure, where they can observe the animals and even cuddle them, without fear of being attacked. What is more, they are encouraged to join in with their howls, as the night progresses.

According to the park’s staff, the best time to experience such a night would be during winter, when the snow gets lit up, by the moon, in a variety of mesmerizing colors.